In a bold push to transform Nigeria’s tech space and unlock its startup potential, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has announced the kick-off of a $11.2 million innovation hub in Abuja.
The project, fully funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is more than just a building — it’s a complete ecosystem designed to help Nigerian startups grow from ideas to global solutions.
Speaking at the project launch, Inuwa declared: “We’re not just training startups, we are giving them the tools, the environment, and the financing they need to thrive.”
The innovation hub will reportedly be a state-of-the-art centre where young innovators can train, build, and test their ideas with real support. It includes makerspaces, incubation programs, research facilities, and access to funding, all under one roof.
This initiative follows the successful rollout of iHatch, a startup incubator created earlier by NITDA and JICA to support young businesses with training and seed funding. Now, with this new hub, the partnership is stepping up.
The innovation centre is a key part of a larger $30 million partnership between Nigeria and Japan. While NITDA leads the $9.9 million part of the project focused on startup development, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is handling the second leg — a $21 million component aimed at scaling social startups across the country.
Inuwa confirmed that consultants from Japan have already arrived in Abuja to begin design work, marking the start of the implementation phase.
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He also emphasized the value of ongoing exchange programmes between Nigeria and Japan, saying they are crucial for knowledge sharing, skill building, and long-term collaboration between innovators in both nations.
“This hub is not just infrastructure,” Inuwa said. “It’s a catalyst. It’s about building an entire innovation ecosystem where startups can ideate, experiment, grow, and compete globally.”
